(AN) Author's Notes: Hi everyone how's it going?
Once again I have another lovely update for you wow! Another new chapter was posted in a row. After this let's see how things fare out in this chapter ^^
I and my co-partner really anticipate that there will be more readers coming forward and leaving comments that are the whole point of when a chapter is updated all the time. Both of us would really appreciate it if you can send us your feedback whether it's constructive criticism or what you think about the story so far even if it's something that you don't like the only type of criticism we won't take is harassment and flaming. As I always said if you don't like the story don't read there are plenty more on the website. So once again take the time to enjoy the chapter and what it has to offer ^^
Disclaimer: All copyright rights to Labyrinth 1986 musical fantasy film directed/created by Jim Henson, Dennis Lee with George Lucas as executive producer. Based on conceptual designs by Brian Froud, the film was written by Terry Jones. I also need to give credit and thanks to my new co-partner ElauraGrave who is helping me get this story off the ground so soon. All original characters AKA (OC's) belong to me © authoress smcandy I don't want to see anyone rip off/steal or take any of my original characters major to minor without my exclusive permission otherwise there will be consequences.
Warning: The reading of this story will go probably up from rated T to rated M later for mature scenes and scenarios and for mature audiences. This story is not meant for adolescents or children under the specific age of 16. To all parents out there who are not monitoring their children what they read or do not have certain child block programs put up on their computer use publicly do not hold me accountable for what they find or read on the internet if they lie about their age. They should not be reading stories or content that are not in their proper age group. Do not seek to point blame at me when I give a warning of what the rating of the story is for the age group of readers. Readers you have been warned I do not want to be flamed or reported by your parents for your actions of reading material that was not meant for your eyes until you are appropriate to age!
Chapter 5: It would give me great pleasure if you would join me for dinner.
Sarah, begrudgingly, took Jareth's advice; she really did need to rest. As soon as she lay down, she noticed just how exhausted she was as her shoulders finally relaxed away from her ears. The soft pillows and silky sheets felt wonderful on her back as she let out a long sigh. As she lay there staring at the ceiling, she wanted to fall asleep, but she wasn't sure she would be able to rest at all; Hoggle was the only thought on her mind. Hoggle and her dear, dear friends. What if they were all locked away? Jareth said they were "unharmed," but he didn't say if they were well or free. She did not want to join him for dinner, but, if she wanted any information on why he was meddling in her life, she didn't have a choice.
The next thing she knew, Sarah awoke to the sound of bells. The thirteen-hour clock that hung on her wall was chiming seven. "Ding dooong, ding dooong," it resounded. Sarah shuddered as the chimes rang and their eerie tones filled the room; the notes were ominous. She did not enjoy this choice of décor at all. Memories of when she had dealt her final rejection to the king all those months ago flooded her mind. She remembered how he had gone up in a whirlwind of feathers and completed a frightening transformation into an owl as those bells had rung. Only then had she connected him to the owl that had watched her in the park. She shook it off and rose from bed, letting out a long, grateful sigh; she had needed that nap. She felt refreshed and her determination was renewed. She let herself out onto the balcony for some fresh air and noticed the dimming light. So, it was sunset. Dinner would be soon, and that meant she had to face him. She wondered what she could possibly wear to dinner since her clothes from the human world were conveniently missing. Her dress was beautiful, she thought, as she ran her fingers along the ribbon that bordered her neckline, but it wasn't much more than a nightgown. She would prefer a ball gown; since she was here, she might as well look the part. Or at least a sturdy skirt—after all, she may need to run, or even fight.
When she returned to her room, she stopped dead in her tracks; the bed had been made. She hadn't heard anyone come in or out. She hadn't even heard the sheets flutter. Her question as to what she would wear had been answered; laid out on the corner of the bed was a sea-foam green ball gown. Like the nightgown, it was long-sleeved yet was open and off the shoulders. On the back of the bodice was a large bow of the same colour. The tops of the sleeves were accented with the same ruching that circled the top of the bodice. Over the wide skirt was a sheer overskirt of a light teal and from the waist hung several tassels. The hemline of the overskirt was accented with a darker teal sash framed by two bows. The dress was so spectacular; Sarah almost didn't notice the red velvet cloth next to it, upon the cloth, glittered gold jewelry. There were matching earrings and hairpins of solid gold and next to them lay a delicate gold chain from which a large, yellow gem hung. Sarah had never liked heavy or obvious jewelry, but she could not deny that they were beautiful. Her attention turned back to the dress. The material of the dress looked so fine; she reached out to touch it. The dress disappeared as soon as her fingers brushed the satin.
"What the—" Sarah looked down and shrieked.
She was wearing the dress. She hadn't felt a gust of air or heard a pop or anything. It had just…magicked itself there. Sarah sighed in relief; so, Jareth had magicked the nightgown onto her.
When Sarah looked up, a floor-length mirror had appeared in the corner, and next to it was a vanity set not unlike the one she had in her room back home.
"Curiouser and curiouser…" she quoted Alice. Walking to the mirror, she was reminded of when she had eaten the peach. It had been an illusion then, but was it an illusion now? She looked at herself in the mirror, gently stroking the large gem at her throat. This dress was even similar to the dress from the Masquerade, with its off-the-shoulder style and sweeping skirt. She noticed how much more grown-up she looked; she looked beautiful. Even her hair had been styled and permed done with the barrettes; she reached up to touch the thick gold bands holding back her thick locks. Sarah also noticed that her lips where coloured in deep red lipstick.
"It's all just smoke and mirrors," she said, tearing herself away from the vision. She felt guilty for loving the dress and loving how she looked in it. It hugged her curves perfectly, accentuating her already tiny waist. It was like something from a dream—but it would not distract her from the fact she was at the mercy of the goblin king for the time being.
"I wouldn't wear this much jewelry anyway," she mumbled. As she stepped away, she noticed that she was wearing shoes. They felt soft and delicate, like close-toed slippers, but she didn't bother to look. She would not let all the glitz and glamour take her mind of her questions that had yet to be answered. She was here to tell the goblin king to stay out of her life and to leave her friends alone. A beautiful dress might seem like a gesture of goodwill, but she wouldn't—couldn't—trust any of his actions. If he did anything nice for her, it was most certainly a trick. Or is it a distraction. Like when he served up her dreams to her in the form of a perfectly little crystal ball; if she had taken that "gift," it would've cost her Toby, her only brother.
"Nothing's truly free in this world," she said quietly.
She was to join the king for dinner; how? No one had come to collect her. Would Jareth send her an escort? Had he unlocked the door? She felt her pulse quicken as she approached it. What if it was locked, and the dinner invitation was just a taunt?
As she lifted the handle, the door swung gently open. Sarah sighed a sigh of relief. In front of her was a dimly lit hallway. Well, she had found her way to the castle, she was certain she could find her way through the castle. She stepped into the hallway, but when her foot met the floor, she was in an enormous banquet hall. Sarah blinked and rubbed her eyes. Yes, she was in a different room. Like the dress had been magicked onto her body in the blink of an eye, so had she been magically transported.
On the opposite wall, a fire burned in a magnificent fireplace, casting a warm, flickering light over the expansive hall. The fireplace was grotesque yet wonderful; it was a massive goblin's mouth gaping wide. The maul was even fitted with teeth, its nose upturned to the ceiling. In front of the fireplace, a long table was set. It must be set for at least twenty people, and there was enough food on it to feed twice as many. Sarah took several involuntary steps forward, her empty stomach guiding her. She recognized much of the feast, such as roast duck and potatoes and green beans, but there were several vegetables and even meats—or, she assumed they were meats—that were foreign to her. Foreign land, foreign food, she thought. Steam was rising from the food, as if it had been freshly made and set only moments before she had arrived. Sarah eyed a whole, steaming fish hungrily and took another step forward.
Sarah stopped short. She remembered the peach Hoggle had given her. She had been transported and her memory had nearly been erased. Hoggle had no choice in that matter; his hand had been forced, but the goblin king would entrance and bewitch her just to amuse himself. She was certain the effects from this food would be just as bad, if not worse, than that peach. Sarah made a mental note to take not even one bite of anything he offered her, no matter how insistent the hunger in her belly would be. If fairytales taught her anything, it's not to take food from strangers. Hansel and Gretel almost got eaten by a witch. Snow White was almost in a coma forever—all because of one small, unassuming poison-coated apple. Magic users must have a thing for fruit and candy.
Sarah was sure Jareth would try to trick her again. Only this time, she wasn't sure why. Sure, he hadn't actively tried to stop her from retrieving Toby last time. Rather, he had only placed obstacles in her path and hadn't simply stolen her away to his castle, locked the door, and thrown away the key like he could've. He had played fair enough. But this time was different, why? His demeanour had been more threatening than inviting back in the bedchambers, so she was sure he could only be up to no good. She stepped away from the table to take a look around the echoing chamber. The hall was only dimly lit. Sarah couldn't help but smile as she noticed several floating candles near the ceiling. She wasn't able to get a truly clear look around the room in the dim, flickering light. She wished she could see the castle when there was sunlight flooding into it. She imagined it wouldn't be so frightening on a bright, sunny day.
Sarah was unaware that another presence was now in attendance. Behind her, she heard someone clear their throat, though she was sure the speaker did not have a cough.
She turned to find the goblin king leaning on the edge of the table, his arms crossed as if he had been waiting there for hours. He had changed, and again he wore attire she recognized. His high-collared jacket gleamed as if the brown, studded leather had been recently treated. The studs glinted in the firelight. Under his jacket could be seen on the king and lose party glittered open while poet shirt the belt buckle around his waist was the same as the medallion he constantly wore keeping the jacket and shirt he wore securely closed, only turned on its side. His gray leggings with faint snake-skin patterns were even tighter than the last trousers he had worn. Despite his gray boots, his hands were still covered by black gloves; why did he wear gloves so often? Surely if he wanted to rule her, he could not caress a lady with gloved hands. Sarah tried not to think about his hands—or his leggings—too much. This time, he had changed out his old cape for a dark blue one that hung crookedly off his shoulders. It looked heavy. Sarah could not see much of the cape, but there was delicate embroidery stitched across it; she tried not to look too closely.
Without saying a word, Jareth pulled out a chair for her. It was the right hand to the head of the table, and Sarah was quite sure he would seat himself there next to her; he at the head and she to the side, like a "proper" ruler and his conquest. Sarah scoffed. He looked back at her expectantly, but she held her ground as if she were a stubborn mule. He held up his hands in mock defeat and sat himself at the head of the table, gesturing for her to seat herself next to him.
Sarah walked herself to the end of the table, to the seat that was the farthest possible from him. She sat and smiled coyly, hoping she was annoying him as much as he was annoying her. A slow, deep chuckle crawled through the air; it was unnerving and the smile was swept from Sarah's face. A crystal appeared above Jareth's hand and he flicked it towards her. It floated slowly across the table and drifted through the steam, but once it reached her, it hovered directly above her head. It popped like a bubble, causing Sarah to blink. When she opened her eyes, she was seated at the right hand of the king. She shifted in her chair uncomfortably; she didn't like being so close to him.
"There's no way we can talk with each other if you sit so far away, my dear," he cooed at her like she was a child. Sarah gritted her teeth in frustration, holding her tongue for fear she'd say something she'd regret. Jareth gestured to the food, bidding her to eat something. She sneered at him in an act of refusal.
"Come now, Sarah, I can assure you there is nothing wrong with the food." He grabbed a leg off a suckling pig, which sent a waft of its scrumptious aroma her way. "It's not enchanted…or poisoned," he added with a smirk before sinking his teeth into the piping hot flesh.
"I am not taking even one bite of anything you have to offer me."
"Aha. You're not still mad about that peach I forced Hoggle to give you," he asked as if he had simply played a merry prank.
"I haven't forgotten the peach, no, and I would rather starve than accept anything from you."
The king furrowed his brow in dissatisfaction, but shrugged it off; he figured she'd come around once the hunger pains started.
He made a show of digging into the food. He heaped delectable greens and butter-soaked potatoes onto his plate, still holding the drumstick in his left hand. "You still haven't answered me," challenged Sarah. "Where are my friends? What have you done to them?"
Jareth let out a long, tired sigh. The girl was trying. His shoulders relaxed and he slouched into his chair a little, forgetting for a moment he needed to look as imposing as he sounded. Sarah noticed that when she tired him out, he forgot his regality, if only for a moment. "They're fine, Sarah. They're fine. In fact they don't even know you're here. I haven't harmed a hair on their heads."
"Then why couldn't I get through to them when I called?"
"I blocked the communication, one could say."
"Then why did you threaten them in my room earlier? Why are you behaving so menacingly towards me?"
Jareth shrugged again, finishing off a buttered biscuit. A wide grin crept across his face as he reached for something behind a bowl of chestnuts. He pulled out a peach and leaned over to Sarah. Sarah turned her face from him, but she couldn't get away from the sickly-sweet smell of the peach. He sunk his teeth into it, the juice dribbling down his chin. It dripped onto her plate and possibly her dress. He chewed in front of her, taking his time and savouring the juicy flesh of the fruit. He swallowed and let out an almost vulgar moan of pleasure, still uncomfortably close to her.
"I promise, no harm will befall them as long as you are a guest here in my castle," he promised, finally leaning back into his own chair. "Really, they're fine." He still hadn't told her where they were or if he had done something that didn't constitute "harm" to them. And he hadn't told her why he was suddenly meddling in her life.
"Guest?" Sarah scoffed incredulously. "You sent an invitation, but I didn't really have a choice, did I? You might as well have forced me to be here."
"Be that as it may—"
"And I have had enough!" Sarah cried, slamming her hands down into the table. "My life is not for your own amusement. My life is not a toy to play with as you please. You are a horrible fellow. If you won't tell me where they are, I'll just go find them myself. They may be unharmed as you say, but I don't believe you've left them alone. For all, I know you could have them locked up in an oubliette, or dangling above the Bog of Eternal Stench. They may be unharmed, but as long as you're in power, with all your magic and tricks, they aren't safe."
Jareth held up a hand, calling for silence. Sarah was done with her proclamation anyway. Sarah jumped, startled, as the king brusquely rose from his chair. Sarah leapt out of her chair as well, backing away from him. The king's cool pallor turned into a wicket grin, and he slowly made his way towards her. With each step he took forward, Sarah took a step back. He was toying with her, walking at a leisurely pace, knowing he was in control of the situation, despite the authority with which Sarah spoke. Sarah turned and ran. She sprinted out the nearest door, not stopping to think she had no clue where she was going. She raced down the hallway which lay ahead, listening for any sound of pursuit. She came screeching to a halt as the Goblin King materialized in front of her. She stopped herself before she rammed straight into him and turned to flee back towards the dining room.
It was a dead end. Like the Labyrinth, Jareth had changed the castle corridors; she turned back to face him.
He strode forward, taking his time. He knew there was nowhere she could run, and he knew the seconds seemed like hours as he prowled towards her. He enjoyed having her corned, like a viper and its prey.
Sarah made herself as flat as she could against the wall behind her, but it didn't make a difference. The stone was cold against her back, but it wasn't the wall that sent a chill up her spine. He stood over her, his face mere inches from hers. He leaned back and summoned a crystal, passing it lithely between his hands. Right, left, right, left. He stopped in his right hand, flicking it up into the air. It hovered just above his fingers, and he leaned forward, offering it to her.
(AN) Author's Notes: The attire that Jareth wears at dinner with Sarah it is the same one he wore twice in the 1986 movie. It's the outfit that he wore when he revealed himself under his beggar disguise when he confronted both Sarah and Hoggle within one of the labyrinths oubliettes and then again with Hoggle one-on-one before he gave him the peach the only difference was that when he came to confront Hoggle and talk with him again before giving him the peach there was a cape attached to the back. If fans have watched the movie as much as I did they will agree and confirm that I speak the truth on this. I found the outfit more befitting at least after a reunion after a year of not seeing each other. As I said before in my last author's note there's one at least be five out of the eight outfits that will be worn more often than others by the king there are three out of the eight that are more meant for in my opinion regal and fancy occasions.
The ballroom gown dress the sea foam green one that I made for Sarah in this I made already a pixel artwork of it as I said before when I made my first group attire lineup for Sarah Williams I got heavily inspired by her only outfit that she wore differently in the movie which was when she was induced by the effects of the Peach she ate in the musical number as the World falls down she was dressed quite lovely and I got inspired by her dress. Keep in mind as I said a lot of varied attire will be only dresses and quite a few of them if I haven't mentioned this before will be off the shoulder I have a thing for off-the-shoulder outfits including dresses I find them quite tantalizingly attractive while at the same time semi modest. The outfits ever worn in that number were spectacular and it gave me inspiration for all her current outfits she will be shown to wear throughout most of the story and beyond. So if anyone can picture the dress before I upload the actual pixel art of it sooner or later on my deviantART account you'll know exactly what it looks like. Or at least lack there for imagination.
As people have noticed right away when Sarah is dining with Jareth she obviously will not take or eat any food when she's eating alone with him. Remember what happened in the movie when she ate the enchanted peach? Sarah can't be assured whether or not the king didn't magically spike the food that is laid out before her. And I would do the exact same thing if I was in her predicament. Given all the deception and obstacles Sarah went through in the movie by him. How can she fully trust that the food that's being left out before her if it isn't drugged or the lord forbids poisoned? Sarah for quite some time will not eat in the same room with the king. I'm not about to stave Sarah so quickly but she will not be willing to eat with the king alone for the time being. As for the crystal that the king is offering her well, I came up with two very well surprises and gifts ideas for Sarah the crystal is not what you guys think it is it is different from the one Jareth offered her twice in the movie that's all I'm about to say on that. If I say any more you guys will get spoilers ahead before I can explain why this crystal is so different from the others that the King has conjured and used.
Also, another thing that you might not be aware of when I was re-reading some of the pages or ones that caught my interest online about the official Practical Visitor's Guide to the Labyrinth it has stated that Jareth can change the inside of the castle at will just like how the Labyrinth ever changes all the time. So with his magical power which indicates he's quite powerful, he can change the exterior or how long the corridors are or where Corridor stop and everything whether or not other friends who have written fix have gotten this information and have ever read Practical Visitor's Guide to the Labyrinth probably got this idea and taking it from there. I'm happy that before we stumbled on to the practical Visitor's Guide that my co-writer thought up of this long before but it's quite obvious in an official canon books that is one of the unique many magical talents of the Goblin King can do.
Just wait and see I have two interesting but well-created ideas or items that Sarah will find quite handy and useful for the rest of the remainder of the story you'll just have to wait and see once they both make a full of parents but I guarantee you this Crystal that the king is offering Sarah is one of the two items I'm talking about. So enjoy and wait around the next update will be around the corner take care.
TTFN,
smcandy